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Alternative energy sources are being researched and developed to improve efficiency and reduce costs. Fluctuating costs of oil, coal and natural gas, along with their possible negative effects on the environment, has made energy sources such as wind and solar more cost-competitive with fossil fuels. More energy strikes the Earth…

This program stresses the importance of caring for our environment and provides an overview of multiple energy sources such as biomass and solar energy. It documents how some states are trying to enact laws that require local power plants to increase their power provided by renewable energy. To preserve our…

Water constantly moves through an immense global cycle, evaporating from lakes and oceans all over the world, condensing to form clouds, precipitating as rain and snow, which then flows back to the oceans. Hydroelectric power takes advantage of this water cycle to drive machinery or create electricity. Hydroelectric power uses…

In a gas turbine, the linear motion of gas causes rotors to spin, ultimately creating electricity. The forward rotating blades pump air under high pressure into the combustion chamber where natural gas ignites on contact with the air. At 1,500 degrees Celsius, the stream of gas rushes past the rear…

The invention of the solid fuel propulsion system combined with Newton's Third Law is the simplistic basis for modern rocketry. This program reviews the history of propulsion and explores its use as a viable energy source of the future.

The automobile industry is going through revolutionary changes. The standard petroleum gasoline fueled engine has some new competition from gas-electric hybrids, electric vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, natural gas vehicles and even some automobiles that get some of their power from the sun. Alternative fuel vehicles produce less harmful emissions…

The energy demands and rising cost of oil have encouraged scientists and engineers to develop renewable energy alternatives. Biofuels are renewable energy sources from organic materials such as plants or animals that are directly converted into liquid fuels. The two most common biofuels in use today are ethanol and biodiesel.…

Is the oil beginning to run out? Shot over four years in 13 countries this film uncovers the myths surrounding the future of world oil supplies. The producers lift the lid on the 'Peak Oil' theory - whether oil production is about to fall. They travel to the Middle East…

In 2010, the United States approved the first new nuclear power plant in 32 years, heralding a "Nuclear Renaissance". But that was before the Fukushima accident in Japan renewed a fierce public debate over the safety and viability of nuclear power. T
he Atomic States of America journeys to nuclear…

In recent years climate science has come under increasing attack, so concerned geologist Simon Lamb grabbed his camera and set out to explore the inside story of climate research. For over three years he followed scientists from a wide range of disciplines at work in the Arctic, Antarctic, Southern Ocean,…

Through the stories of workers and entrepreneurs in the U.S. and China, Catching the Sun captures the global race to lead the clean energy future.
Over the course of a solar jobs training program, Catching the Sun follows the hope and heartbreak of unemployed American workers seeking jobs in the…

For centuries, scientists and engineers have been making things bigger and better. Now some scientists are trying to make things smaller and better in hopes of solving some of the world's biggest problems. These scientists and engineers are working in specialties of micro engineering and nanotechnology to develop microscopic and…